


Humanity

by Tarlan



Series: Marks of Daggoth [3]
Category: Darklight (2004)
Genre: Gen, Horror, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-03
Updated: 2006-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-15 07:34:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders begins to confront the demonicos within him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Humanity

The enclosed room was a prison cell no matter the luxury of the carpeting, the large comfortable bed and the private toilet facilities. The computer station had no link to the world outside of the complex though it held all of Anders' research into the Darklight and access to all the reference material he should require. Books and DVDs lined a couple of shelves, offering him a range of items for its entertainment, adequate enough to help him pass the hours when his work no longer interested him. Yet it was still a prison cell, a gilded cage, because he was not allowed to come and go as he pleased, not even to wander through the well guarded complex of The Faith.

He stretched and shrugged his shoulders, hating the feel of the Talos buried in his back, just out of his reach. His body wanted to change, needed to change, but he could not seem to make them understand that. They did not trust him but, even as the demonicos he'd had control over this thoughts and body. He had simply chosen not to exercise it because, at that time, his mind had been bent on vengeance, caught in a maelstrom of emotions; bitterness, pain, humiliation and betrayal. Working long into the nights and all through the days, taking few breaks from food and sleep while he worked on his greatest discovery had destabilized his mind. Unknowingly, traces of the Darklight had made contact with his skin, seeping into his blood stream and altering his brain chemistry, letting in the paranoia that impaired his judgment. He knew this now. He understood all that had happened to him now that he was rested. Like Lilith, all he had needed was a respite from the darklight's influence to regain his equilibrium, and his humanity.

Yet, the urge to transform still remained; the need to feel the power of the demon released from inside him.

The Faith gave Lilith opportunities to exercise that dark part of herself to the benefit of mankind, and he wished he knew how he could gain their trust in him too. He no longer felt a dark desire to destroy everything and everyone, no longer felt the terrible rage against even his father. Instead, he felt empty and alone despite his father's many visits, for they would not let them sit in the same room together unless Anders was restrained.

He glanced at the calendar on the wall, mentally striking out the days, weeks and months that he had spent here -- in this room -- and wondered how much longer they would keep him here before he went insane. The door clicked, the lock snicking open and Anders tensed. He made no move as the door swung open, watching with curiosity as two guards entered, taking up position on either side of the door frame. Anders rose slowly to his feet as the Prefect entered.

"Anders, it is time."

Apprehension coiled in his belly, having no idea what plans the Prefect had made for him but when the Prefect turned away, moving back into the corridor, Anders followed. The guards stepped up behind him while another two guards, previously unseen, led the way through a labyrinth of corridors. Anders glanced through several open doorways as they passed, marveling at the equipment he saw and wishing The Faith would allow him to work with them. Another open doorway loomed ahead and Anders realized that they had reached their destination. He stepped inside the sterile room, finding nothing inside apart from what looked like a solid stone altar at its center.

"Please remove your clothing and lie down on the table, on your front."

Anders hesitated.

"It's going to be all right. You will not be harmed."

Anders knew that trust was a two-way street and he could not expect them to learn to trust him unless he was willing to trust them in return. Slowly, he pulled off the scrubs and did as he was told; surprised to find the surface warm when he had expected it to be ice cold to the touch. Naked and vulnerable, he waited in silence, wondering if the victims of his experimentation had felt equally scared when he began using them in his tests. He had shown them no compassion, hardly even acknowledging their sentience and humanity. The traces of darklight infecting his brain had already stripped away that part of his own humanity. The Prefect and all of the guards left the room, leaving Anders alone with a single scientist.

"Are you ready?"

Anders nodded and then tensed as he felt the scalpel slice into his back. He sighed raggedly; no longer apprehensive as he felt the power of the darklight flood through him as the Talos was removed. He stretched his limbs, feeling the tightness of the flesh on his back as his wings budded and grew. His body lengthened, fingers becoming talons as his eyes began to see deeper into each end of the spectrum. His tongue thickened, the proboscis coiling in his mouth and he leapt up to find the scientist backing away in shock. The heavy scent of human fear filled the air and Anders realized that his transformation into the demonicos had happened far faster than anticipated, leaving the scientist not time to move to safety.

Anders stretched uprights, flexing powerful muscles, beating his wings solidly and enjoying the way the wafts of air stirred the scientist's dark hair. He advanced slowly, proboscis unfurling and shooting out to taste the fear on the human's flesh, not to bite.

I'm in control now, Anders thought. I'm in control.

He backed off, leaving the scientist with his escape path to the door and watching as the man sidled towards it, quickly trying the handle but finding it locked against him. He flattened up against the wall as Anders beat his wings harder, letting the power lift him from the floor only to find his movement hindered by the ceiling. He settled back down and sat on the stone table, quietly eyeing the terrified human.

The door opened and a familiar female demonic form stepped inside; the scientist made his escape at last into the safety of the corridor beyond.

"Anders?"

He nodded, unable to speak in this form but eager to let Lilith know that he was in control of the demon.

"Change back to human form now."

He stared at her, part of him wanting to refuse, wanting to stay in this form but then he nodded and let the power subside, feeling his body transform, reducing in size and muscle, his wings absorbed back into his body until he was simply Anders Raeborne once more. She transformed too, her dark eyes smiling at him as she stepped closer and brushed a hand over his cheek. His eyes flicked up as William Shaw stepped up behind her.

"You trust him?" Shaw asked softly, his blue eyes holding fast to Anders'.

"Yes," she replied gently but firmly. "Anders, the gates of Hell are open and demons with no soul are finding their way to Earth. Will you help us protect mankind from those demons... and atone for your sins?"

Her small hands grasped one of his, turning his arm to reveal the five Marks of Daggoth raised upon his flesh. He looked to her arm and saw only three marks, aware that she had already atoned for two of her sins. He smiled into her beautiful face, seeing beyond the fragile human shell of youth and vitality to the demon within who had walked the Earth at the dawn of time. She was the first demon, whose darklight gave birth to him. In a sense, she was his mother and Anders realized in that instant that he would do anything she asked of him out of an emotion that should not belong to any demon -- unless it had a soul. He would help and obey her, and not simply out of a child's love for a parent. He would offer all that he was as both human and demonicos to save mankind, to save the people who had given him a second chance.

Anders reached out to William Shaw with his free hand and saw begrudging acceptance as the human reached back. Together they would forge a new partnership consisting of Lilith, Shaw and him that would force back Hell's minions, sending the demons back from whence they came.

The war raging between Heaven and Hell had found a battleground on Earth, and Anders would fight for humanity.

END


End file.
